Former Sanhe Bank

Former Sanhe Bank is the name commonly used for a historic bank building in Gushan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is not an operating bank or a contemporary financial-services brand. The building was established in 1921 as a Kaohsiung branch of Sanjushi-Ginko Bank during the period of Japanese rule in Taiwan. Its institutional identity later changed as the Japanese banking sector consolidated: following merger negotiations, the bank was reorganized as Sanwa Bank in 1933. The building's later history reflects Taiwan's political and administrative transition after the end of Japanese rule. In 1945, after Taiwan was transferred to the Republic of China, the Kaohsiung branch of Sanwa Bank was merged with other branches into the Bank of Taiwan. The former bank premises subsequently ceased to function as the same Japanese-era banking branch and became the property of Sinbin Police Station under the Kaohsiung City Police Department. The police station occupied the building for decades. In 1990, it moved to a different location because the existing premises had become too constrained for its operational needs. The former bank building was then left unused. Its significance today is therefore primarily architectural and historical rather than commercial. The structure preserves evidence of early twentieth-century banking and urban development in Kaohsiung, as well as the successive institutional changes that followed Taiwan's change in administration. Architecturally, the building uses a reinforced-concrete beam-and-column structure. Its exterior combines khaki-colored face bricks with a stucco-wash finish, while the ceiling incorporates mud plaster and bamboo. These construction details distinguish it from a modern financial institution and contribute to its value as a surviving historic structure. The building is located within walking distance north of Hamasen Station on the Kaohsiung MRT and is associated with the city's historic tourist and urban heritage landscape.

The Former Sanhe Bank building originated as a branch of Sanjushi-Ginko Bank established in Kaohsiung in 1921. Its creation took place during the Japanese administration of Taiwan, when Japanese financial institutions formed part of the commercial and administrative infrastructure of the growing port city. The branch occupied a substantial masonry and reinforced-concrete building in what is now Gushan District. In 1933, after a series of merger negotiations, the institution was changed to Sanwa Bank. This change connected the Kaohsiung branch to the broader consolidation of Japanese banking organizations. The building therefore passed through more than one institutional identity before the end of Japanese rule, although its physical form remained associated with the same banking premises. The postwar transition brought another major change. Following the handover of Taiwan to the Republic of China in 1945, the Kaohsiung branch of Sanwa Bank was merged with other branches into the Bank of Taiwan. The premises consequently stopped operating as the original Japanese-era branch and were transferred to a new administrative use. The building became the property of Sinbin Police Station, which operated under the Kaohsiung City Police Department. The police station remained in the building until 1990. That year, it relocated to its current site because the former premises no longer provided sufficient space. After the move, the historic structure was left idle. Its later identity became that of a former bank building rather than an active financial institution. The architecture helps explain the building's continuing historical interest. It is constructed with a reinforced-concrete beam-and-column system, while its outer walls use khaki face bricks and a stucco-wash finish. The ceiling includes mud plaster reinforced with bamboo. These features reflect construction practices and visual conventions associated with early twentieth-century institutional buildings in Taiwan. Today, Former Sanhe Bank is understood as a surviving historic structure in Kaohsiung. Its importance lies in the combination of architectural fabric, banking history, colonial-era urban development, postwar institutional reuse, and subsequent abandonment. It is accessible on foot from the area north of Hamasen Station on the Kaohsiung MRT and is connected geographically with the Hamasen and Gushan historic districts.

• 1990

  Police station relocated

  [1]Former Sanhe Banken.wikipedia.org

  Sinbin Police Station moved because of space constraints, after which the former bank building was left unused.

• 1945

  Branch merged into the Bank of Taiwan

  [1]Former Sanhe Banken.wikipedia.org

  After Taiwan's transfer to the Republic of China, the Kaohsiung branch of Sanwa Bank was merged with other branches into the Bank of Taiwan.

• 1945

  Building transferred to police administration

  [1]Former Sanhe Banken.wikipedia.org

  The former bank premises became the property of Sinbin Police Station under the Kaohsiung City Police Department.

• 1933

  Institution reorganized as Sanwa Bank

  [1]Former Sanhe Banken.wikipedia.org

  Following merger negotiations, the bank was changed to Sanwa Bank.

• 1921

  Sanjushi-Ginko Bank branch established

  [1]Former Sanhe Banken.wikipedia.org

  A branch of Sanjushi-Ginko Bank was established in Kaohsiung in the building that later became known as Former Sanhe Bank.

A historic banking building and heritage site rather than an active bank or financial-services provider.

1. 1Former Sanhe Banken.wikipedia.org